Major fire in California, thousands of people evacuated

Dry weather and strong winds have made the fire that broke out in Los Angeles (California, USA) on January 7 more serious.

According to NBC News, as of the afternoon of January 7 local time, the fire had covered an area of more than 500 hectares in several counties in Los Angeles, including the luxurious Pacific Palisades area. The California Fire Department issued a mandatory evacuation order for some areas near the fire, saying this was an “immediate life-threatening situation.”

Video shows wildfire threatening upscale California neighborhood, forcing evacuation

Cháy lớn tại California, hàng ngàn người phải sơ tán- Ảnh 1. — Firefighters extinguish a fire in Los Angeles, California on January 7.

Cháy lớn tại California, hàng ngàn người phải sơ tán- Ảnh 2. — The fire broke out on the morning of January 7, black smoke covered the entire area.

Cháy lớn tại California, hàng ngàn người phải sơ tán- Ảnh 3. — Authorities dispatched planes to put out the fire from the air.

Roads in the area near the fire were blocked as residents rushed to evacuate, some abandoning their cars to escape. The fire broke out on the morning of January 7 and spread rapidly. Firefighters were dispatched to the scene, with the support of aircraft to fight the fire from the air.

Experts said dry weather and the Santa Ana monsoon, with winds gusting up to 100 miles per hour, made the fire difficult to control. Before the fire broke out, the US National Weather Service (NWS) issued its highest warning of severe fire danger for most of Los Angeles County, Reuters reported.

Los Angeles fire officials said strong winds caused the fire to spread an area the size of three football fields per minute, burning more than 310 hectares in the first three hours.

Cháy lớn tại California, hàng ngàn người phải sơ tán- Ảnh 4. — Los Angeles residents evacuated as fire spreads

Cháy lớn tại California, hàng ngàn người phải sơ tán- Ảnh 5. — Vehicles evacuate from fire area

Los Angeles Mayor Karen Bass has ordered emergency measures, mobilizing city departments to respond to the infrastructure disruption. More than 17,000 homes and businesses were without power on January 7. "Strong winds could cause trees to fall or branches to fall on power lines, which could cause power outages," Bass said.

US President Joe Biden was in Los Angeles on January 7 to announce plans to build two national monuments, but the event was canceled.